TR Zeliang alleges ‘political vendetta’ over NIA summon

Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 12  

Just a day before the first session of the 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly which is set to begin from March 13 onwards, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) summoned former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang for questioning in connection with alleged tax collection and funding case. The case pertains to alleged extortion by Naga political groups from at least 14 government departments.  

According to the notice issued by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, NIA, Ministry of Home Affairs, Guwahati, Zeliang has been asked to appear before him on March 13 at 1pm at NIA Hq, CGO Complex, Lodhi road, New Delhi along with documents relevant to the payments received from the government departments for the purpose of answering certain questions relating to investigation of the instant case.  

Zeliang, who is also the leader of the NPF legislature party, has however expressed his inability to appear before the NIA on the aforementioned date and has requested the agency for deferment of appearance and to set another date after the NLA session.  

In a letter addressed to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, NIA, Zeliang pointed out that the summon has been made at such a short notice with the first notice received by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) 15 minutes past midnight on March 12, after which a second letter was again served through the same Fax no at 10:05 am the same day, the content of which was similar to the first.  

Further, Zeliang also maintained that he is required to attend the NLA session which begins from March 13 in the capacity of the Leader of Opposition.  

In a separate communiqué issued to the media, Zeliang noted that on February 15 and 16, just before the State Assembly elections, NIA had summoned for questioning three officials to Guwahati which included the OSD, Media Officer and Public Relations Officer to the then Chief Minister, TR Zeliang.  

On March 1, just before the Election results were announced, an Officer of Zeliang was again summoned and interrogated for 5 days, from March 3 -7 at its HQ, New Delhi.  

The latest summoning of the former Chief Minister himself comes at a time when the State Assembly is slated to hold its session from March 13-26, the communiqué stated.  

While NIA has been investigating extortion cases in Nagaland since August 2016 and Zeliang, as a law abiding citizen of the country is ready to co-operate with any Investigating agency including the NIA, the communiqué however clarified that the then CMO under Zeilang has nothing to do with funding banned organizations.  

Further, the timing of the summons, despite the co-operation rendered from day one, is conspicuously “odd and political motivation and vendetta surrounding the case cannot be ruled out,” the communiqué from the former Chief Minister alleged.  

NIA is being used for political mileage: NPF

The NPF has also posed the same question over the NIA summon issued to the former Chief Minister and has alleged that the agency is being used for political mileage.  

Press bureau, NPF central headquarters in a press statement alleged that “devious game is being played against former Chief Minister and NPF leader TR Zeliang by the NIA which is tasked with looking into terror activities in the country but “now appears to be used to grind the proverbial political axe.”  

While detailing the circumstances surrounding the NIA summon, the NPF recounted that with the announcement of State Assembly Elections 2018 in Nagaland, came a summon from the NIA for three staffers of the then Chief Minister’s Office. The three officers complied and appeared before the NIA Officer concerned at the Guwahati NIA Branch Office. After few days of questioning, the three were let go by the NIA Guwahati Branch Office. The case seemed to have been settled in regard to the three officers.  

However, just a day before the declaration of the Assembly Elections result, one of the Officers from CMO was again summoned to appear before the NIA investigating officer at the NIA HQ, New Delhi where he was repeatedly interrogated for 5 consecutive days from morning till late evening, until the day TR Zeliang resigned from the Office of Chief Minister, the NPF stated.  

Given the suspicious circumstances, the NPF posed three questions- On what urgency that a summon letter has to be dispatched at 00:15 hrs; given the fact that the first session of the 13th Assembly is slated for March 13, couldn't the NIA wait another day? Knowing very well that TR Zeliang has already resigned, why send the fax to the Chief Minister’s Office?  

It also stated that “to cast aspersions on the integrity of a man who wants peace and harmony for Nagaland in particular and north eastern region in general, as having committed crimes against the nation worthy to be looked into by an investigating agency instituted to investigate terror activities, is most perplexing.”